Restaurant · Getaria and Zarautz
Kaia Kaipe
Choose a day and party sizeInformation
- Price
- €€€€
- Where
- Getaria
Above Getaria harbour since 1962
Kaia means harbour in Basque, and the name says where it is: at Calle General Arnao, 4, high above Getaria's fishing harbour. It was opened in 1962 by the Arregi Larrañaga family and is still a family business. It has two spaces. Kaia is the main dining room, decorated with nautical motifs imitating the inside of a ship, with room for some 70 or 80 people and a viewpoint over the harbour and the Cantabrian Sea. Kaipe is the terrace, climate-controlled, used in winter and summer.
What to order from the grill
The house works with local produce and has its own grill and a shellfish tank. On the menu, grilled fish rules: turbot, sea bream, red porgy, sea bass and hake cheeks, all for a minimum of two people, as well as grouper, red mullet, scorpion fish or monkfish. For shellfish there is lobster, spiny lobster, velvet crabs, spider crab, goose barnacles, Dublin Bay prawns and clams, and among the starters, anchovies in oil, fish soup or hake cheeks. For those who do not want fish, aged-beef chop and sirloin. To go with it, Getaria txakoli or something from a cellar of more than 1,500 labels.
The website publishes no prices on the menu, only an indicative wine list. It is an expensive meal: ask the price of the piece by weight before ordering and order the whole fish for the table.
Winter and summer hours
From September to May it serves lunch every day from 13:00 to 15:30 except Tuesday, and dinner only on Friday and Saturday, from 20:00 to 22:30. From June to August lunches stay the same and dinners are from Wednesday to Sunday; then it is closed on Monday evening and Tuesday. Sunday at midday it is open all year, which is why it is the lunch in the Sunday in Getaria and Zarautz.
Booking and what to know
Book on its website or on 943 140 500, answered every day from 9:00 to 17:00. To book they ask for a card, with no charge; if you cancel with less than 24 hours' notice they charge €50 per person, and the booking is valid once the house confirms it. Pets are not allowed.
To whet your appetite, go up the Ratón de Getaria beforehand or do the walk from Zarautz to Getaria; the txakoli you drink at the table you can see being born at the Txomin Etxaniz winery.
What to order: whole grilled fish, such as turbot, or lobster, with Getaria txakoli
Practical details
- Phone
- +34 943 140 500
- Opening hours
- Mon13:00–15:30
- TueClosed
- Wed and Thu13:00–15:30
- Fri and Sat13:00–15:30 and 20:00–22:30
- Sun13:00–15:30
- Cuisine
- Basque, grill, seafood
- Bookings
- Book a table on their website
House specialities
- Grilled turbot
- Lobster
- Baby squid
- Fish of the day
Tips
- Order fish for two or more The big grill fish, such as turbot or sea bream, are served for a minimum of two.
- Say if you want Kaipe The terrace is climate-controlled and open in winter: ask for it when booking if you prefer it to the dining room.
- Careful with late cancellation With less than 24 hours' notice they charge €50 per person.
Frequently asked questions
Can you eat at Kaia on a Sunday?
Yes, at midday, from 13:00 to 15:30, all year. In summer it also serves dinner on Sunday.
Which day is it closed?
Tuesday. From June to August, also Monday evening.
Are dogs accepted in the dining room or Kaipe?
No; its booking policy does not admit pets.
Do you have to leave a card to book?
Yes, although they charge nothing when you book. They only charge €50 per person if you cancel with less than 24 hours' notice.
Do they publish prices?
Not on the website's menu. Ask the price of fish by weight before ordering.
